Joseph Maclay, 2nd Baron Maclay
Encyclopedia
Joseph Paton Maclay, 2nd Baron Maclay KBE
(31 May 1899-7 November 1969), was a Scottish
, banker, shipowner, peer
and Liberal
politician.
, and his wife Martha (née Strang). John Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel
, was his younger brother. Lord Maclay married Nancy Margaret, daughter of Robert Coventry Greig, in 1936. Their wedding was held in Paisley Abbey
. He was educated at Fettes College
, Edinburgh and Trinity College, Cambridge
. He died in hospital November 1969, aged 70, and a memorial service was held for him in Glasgow Cathedral
. He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son Joseph.
and Chairman of Clydesdale and North Scotland Bank
.
(MP) for Paisley
in 1931, a seat he held until the 1945 general election. In 1951 he succeeded his father in the barony and entered the House of Lords
. Maclay was elected as a Liberal in support of the National Government and prime minister Ramsay MacDonald
. When the Liberal Party led by Sir Herbert Samuel
withdrew from the coalition in November 1931, Maclay refused to cross the floor into opposition with Samuel. However he never seems to have taken the whip
of the Liberal National Party
, the group in Parliament led by Sir John Simon. At the 1935 general election
he was re-elected in Paisley as a Liberal, although as in 1931 he had no Conservative
opponent. This was because he did generally tend to support the government. Indeed in the crucial vote after the Norway debate on 8 May 1940 which led to the downfall of Neville Chamberlain he was one of only two Liberals to support the government (the other was Gwilym Lloyd George). Despite this, his personal relations with Herbert Samuel must have remained cordial as he was invited by Samuel to accompany him to a conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations held in Banff
in Canada during the summer recess of 1933 to act as an honorary private secretary and before the conference they enjoyed some walking together in the forested countryside around Lake Louise (Alberta)
.
During the Second World War, Maclay followed similar footsteps to those his father had trod in the Great War, when he was appointed Head of the Convoy and Admiralty Liaison, in the Ministry of War Transport between 1943-1945.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(31 May 1899-7 November 1969), was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, banker, shipowner, peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Family and education
Maclay was the eldest surviving son of James Maclay, 1st Baron MaclayJames Maclay, 1st Baron Maclay
Joseph Paton Maclay, 1st Baron Maclay PC , known as Sir Joseph Maclay, 1st Baronet, from 1914 to 1922, was a Scottish businessman and public servant....
, and his wife Martha (née Strang). John Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel
John Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel
John Scott Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel KT, CH, CMG, PC, DL was a British politician, sitting as a National Liberal and Conservative Member of Parliament before the party was fully assimilated into the Unionist Party in Scotland in the early 1960s.Lord Muirshiel served as Secretary of State for...
, was his younger brother. Lord Maclay married Nancy Margaret, daughter of Robert Coventry Greig, in 1936. Their wedding was held in Paisley Abbey
Paisley Abbey
Paisley Abbey is a former Cluniac monastery, and current Church of Scotland parish kirk, located on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, in west central Scotland.-History:...
. He was educated at Fettes College
Fettes College
Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...
, Edinburgh and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He died in hospital November 1969, aged 70, and a memorial service was held for him in Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral
The church commonly known as Glasgow Cathedral is the Church of Scotland High Kirk of Glasgow otherwise known as St. Mungo's Cathedral.The other cathedrals in Glasgow are:* The Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew...
. He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son Joseph.
Business
Maclay went into the shipping business and became chairman of the company his father had established, Maclay and McIntyre of Glasgow. He was president of the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, 1946-47, Chairman of the General Council of British Shipping, 1946-47 and Lord Dean of Guild, Glagsow, 1952-54. In February 1947, he chaired the International Shipping Conference in London. He was a Director of the Midland BankMidland Bank
Midland Bank Plc was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birmingham, England in August 1836...
and Chairman of Clydesdale and North Scotland Bank
Clydesdale Bank
Clydesdale Bank is a commercial bank in Scotland, a subsidiary of the National Australia Bank Group. In Scotland, Clydesdale Bank is the third largest clearing bank, although it also retains a branch network in London and the north of England...
.
Parliament and other public office
He was elected to the House of Commons as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Paisley
Paisley (UK Parliament constituency)
Paisley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1983, when it was divided into Paisley North and Paisley South...
in 1931, a seat he held until the 1945 general election. In 1951 he succeeded his father in the barony and entered the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. Maclay was elected as a Liberal in support of the National Government and prime minister Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
. When the Liberal Party led by Sir Herbert Samuel
Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel
Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel GCB OM GBE PC was a British politician and diplomat.-Early years:...
withdrew from the coalition in November 1931, Maclay refused to cross the floor into opposition with Samuel. However he never seems to have taken the whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
of the Liberal National Party
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
, the group in Parliament led by Sir John Simon. At the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
he was re-elected in Paisley as a Liberal, although as in 1931 he had no Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
opponent. This was because he did generally tend to support the government. Indeed in the crucial vote after the Norway debate on 8 May 1940 which led to the downfall of Neville Chamberlain he was one of only two Liberals to support the government (the other was Gwilym Lloyd George). Despite this, his personal relations with Herbert Samuel must have remained cordial as he was invited by Samuel to accompany him to a conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations held in Banff
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
in Canada during the summer recess of 1933 to act as an honorary private secretary and before the conference they enjoyed some walking together in the forested countryside around Lake Louise (Alberta)
Lake Louise (Alberta)
Lake Louise is a lake in Alberta, Canada. The glacial lake is located in Banff National Park, from the hamlet of Lake Louise and the Trans-Canada Highway....
.
During the Second World War, Maclay followed similar footsteps to those his father had trod in the Great War, when he was appointed Head of the Convoy and Admiralty Liaison, in the Ministry of War Transport between 1943-1945.